Should A Radio Station Web Site Stream Immediately?
Written Oct. 23, 2007 by Larry Rosin in Content + Marketing with 7 Comments
A few days ago we commented on this site about the first Jack-FM in the UK, and how its stream comes up immediately when one launches the site. [Alas, the Jack stream won't work for Americans -- the stream is blocked from American IP addresses].
This has led to a lively discussion among many of our radio friends -- why do we support this practice?
First -- let me discuss the most common reasons I hear about why it should NOT be done:
1) People tell us they get annoyed when unasked-for audio pops up on a web site:
This may be true in certain situations. When you go to the site of a hotel and a string quartet starts playing to show you how elegant the place is, that is annoying. But our research has shown that by far the biggest reason people go to a radio station is to listen to your station. Why are we making that act any more difficult on the Internet than it is on a radio? It seems hard to believe that many people who venture to your site would be surprised or angered by hearing audio. They are going to the site of an "audio entertainment" company!
2) It is expensive:
Fair enough. You have to pay to serve each of those streams. But otherwise you are sacrificing potential listenership? Which is more "expensive" in the long run?
3) Your stream should not be served unless people sign up for your "frequent listener club":
We've dealt with this earlier, here. The stream should be one thing, the benefits of joining a "VIP Club" another. I should not have to give you my social security number or have to submit other information for the privelege of listening to the stream. The stream should be perceived as no different from the over-the-air signal. Isn't the goal of radio to get people to listen to it?
Finally -- as electronic measurement proliferates, we will want to get every last instance of listening recorded. Why take a chance on someone coming to your site and failing to listen to your station?
Reader Comments
Your 2¢, in chronological order — add your comment below.
Check out the test site for the new Original 106 in Aberdeen, UK. In their infinite wisdom they've decided to have two different stations start playing when you load the site...
The address is http://www.originalfm.com/
I own multiple internet radio stations in the US. And I absolutely will not have the station forced on the listener. It can be argued that the reason they came to the site was to listen, and in Tera Station this is true. However with the combined worlds of billboard and audio, we now have a way for the listening audience to read and hear what we want them to. We have content, articles and points of interest to read, as well as great content to listen to. This is why no station should start playing on site opening, unless there is no other reason to read through the site. So then, the billboard section for content, (PAID and otherwise) is a moog point.
And, no one likes to be forced to do anything. Choice make the listener feel in charge, (which by the way, they are), to elect the station of choice to listen to. They chose to go that particular site, let them chose to click on “Listen Now”.
Even when we had just the 1 station stream, we would still have them click on the "Listen Now" button. For the 1st reason, is we have multiple reasons for anyone to read through our website, (sister port, www.apostleradio.org), as well as our multiple advertisers. Maybe if people the industry would treat people with a little more understanding to the wants of the listeners, they would retain more listeners.
We started developing the broadcasting of Internet Radio in October of 1999. We have been in operations since April 2000.
Thank you;
Ed Tucker
Owner - Tucker Communications
Denton, Tx
I'm not sure I like hearing the stream just by accessing the website, but the listen link should be clearly labeled, (images should be tagged, too), and if there's only one way to stream, it should start immediately after clicking on listen. And I don't want to supply my name, email or demographic info (in fact, I usually won't.) I may be in the minority here, but I install the players I want on my system, and I prefer links which bring up those players over embedded player interfaces. Yes, I know that (theoretically) blows some ad opportunities, but ads can be part of the regular programming, aggregating net listeners into the mix.
Ideally, AFTRA should rethink their absurd policies, thus again allowing web listeners to hear the same content they'd get on the radio, including ads.
Jack Fm Oxford have got a shoutcast stream seperate from the webpage.
http://stream-test.jackfm.co.uk:8000/
You shouldn't start a stream automatically when you reach a station's website. There are plenty of reasons why I may be visiting your site apart from listening to the stream. Of course, I *want* you to listen to the station, but you may already be listening to it, and visiting the site because the DJ just mentioned it on air. There's nothing more annoying than hearing the same audio twice - one stream on a delay.
The listener may be at work, and not strictly speaking allowed to listen to audio. Maybe they shouldn't really be on your site at all. They may be entering a contest or emailing a DJ having heard something on the drive to work.
Of course "Listen Now" should be front and centre on any site. But don't force audio down anyone's throat. I hate ads that play audio that I didn't ask for, and in the long run, I'm less likely to visit your site if you force audio down my throat.
I'm constantly seeking new material from artists on Myspace and most have their players set for the music to start upon arrival. As my intent is to listen to the musical offerings, I'm still mildly offended by being forced to listen. Let me choose when I'm ready to focus my attention on your music. Often I find myself engrossed in the profile's content and would prefer to consume it first.
When perusing record labels, many have their audio streams pop up on their fancy flash pages. Any audio stream from any site, let me make the choice.
Great idea for promoting the status quo - but you seem wide of the mark you normally write about so effectively here when it comes to the opportunities terrestrial radio has with the Internet.
Why should we assume all site visitors want to consume our live stream the instant they arrive?
We offer many other brand experiences such as on demand archived audio, video and event guides to name a few. The functionality unavailable to us with the brand's terrestrial distribution medium is where major opportunity exists.
The usability issues aside (each medium should express the brand for the way people use the medium), empowering our listeners by letting them control the experience is a key to maintaining and enhancing our relationship with them.
Gregg Lindahl
VP, Interactive & New Technologies
Cox Radio